Acoustical panel supports for riser faces



Feb. 21, 1967 w. R. VAN LOO ETAL 3,305,044

ACOUSTICAL PANEL SUPPORTS FOR RISER FACES Filed May 25, 1966 r-m n INVENTORS W|ll|c|m R. VanLoo Jon Mochielse BY @awzwny,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,305,044 ACOUSTICAL PANEL SUPPORTS FOR RISER FACES William R. Van Loo and Jan Machielse, both of Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to American Seating Company,

Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 25, 1966, Ser. No. 552,979 8 Claims. (Cl. 181-33) This invention relates to acoustical panel supports for riser faces, and more particularly to riser faces provided with sound-dampening recesses as employed in auditoriums and the like.

Sound-dampening means are important for use with auditorium chairs supported on riser faces, the riser face being provided with a longitudinal recess in which glass fibers and/or other insulating material is employed, together with perforated acoustical panels employed for closing the recess. In the practice heretofore, the acoustical panels are secured to the riser wall so as to extend over the recess, this operation requiring means for securing the panels to the riser wall and requiring caution to avoid damage to the wall. At the same time, the securing of the panels against the wall reduces the effectiveness of the panels as acoustical devices and increases the sound reflective effects.

We have discovered that greatly improved acoustical values can be obtained by providing an arrangement under which the acoustical panels are supported directly upon the chair structure, and preferably on the chairsupporting standards. Most of the sound effects occur in the chair itself or about the chair, there being variations when the seat is lowered or allowed to slam shut, while at the same time vibrations are generated in the chair body as the occupant moves his feet and body during the use of the chair. We find that with the arrangement under which the acoustical panels are floated or supported upon the chair standards or structure, such direct vibrations are channeled into the acoustical panels, with the overall result that the acoustical material operates with much greater efiiciency. Further, the need for special attachment means securing the acoustical panels to the riser face is entirely eliminated.

A primary object, therefore, of the invention is to provide novel and more effective means for supporting acoustical panels along riser walls. A further object is to provide a support structure for chairs enabling acoustical panels to be releasably supported in front of acoustical recesses of auditorium risers. A still further object is to provide novel means associated with a chair-support structure itself for suspending or supporting acoustical panels in front of insulation recesses of walls and the like. A still further object is to provide in combination with chair supports standards having lateral recesses for receiving the edges of acoustical panels whereby panels can be readily attached or removed as desired from such support structures. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a broken perspective View of chairs supported upon a riser wall having a longitudinal sounddeadening recess and with acoustical panels carried by the chair supports; FIG. 2, a broken enlarged sectional detail view of the riser and recess therein and showing the chair support structure, a portion of the fiberglass insulation being broken away, the section being taken as indicated at line 22 of FIG. 3; FIG. 3, a broken front view in part section, the section being taken as indicated at line 3-3 of FIG. 2; FIG. 4, a broken detail sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 4-4 3,305,044 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 of FIG. 2; and FIG. 5, a detail sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

In the illustration given, designates a riser having an insulation recess 11 extending longitudinally thereof. The riser may be of the usual type formed of concrete or other construction material and providing stepped platforms above which may be supported auditorium seats and the like. In front of the recess 11 is supported a number of acoustical panels 12 which are perforated to reduce sound effects. Behind the panels 12 and occupying the recess 11 is sound insulation material 13 which may be fiberglass or the like.

Embedded within the wall 10 are support bars 14 which are preferably in the form of bolts extending outwardly through the recess 11 and provided at their outer ends with threaded portions 15.

Supported upon the outer portions of the bolts 14 are chair support standards 16. The standards 16 may be supported upon a single bar or bolt 14, but for the purpose of stability we prefer to have two bolts 14 arranged in vertical alignment, each of the bolts passing through apertures in the standards 16 and being secured upon the standards by nuts 17 engaging the threaded ends 15 of bolts 14.

The standards 16, as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2, are provided with support arms 18 and 19 which support a chair structure 20 thereabove. As shown best in FIG. 1, a standard 16 may be provided for supporting chairs on either side thereof so that for the two chairs, in the illustration given in FIG. 1, three standards 16 suffice for supporting the sides of the two chairs.

The standard or channel 16 may be formed integrally with the chair-supporting arms 18 and 19, and the riser may be provided on its inner side about each bolt 14 with an enlarged collar 21. Further, for reinforcing the rear side of the standard 16, we provide an upper flange 22, an intermediate flange 23, and a bottom flange 24.

For receiving the acoustical panels 12, we provide on the rear of the standard 16 outwardly-facing grooves or recesses 25, as shown best in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The grooves 25 are formed within the flanges 22, 23 and 24 and the collars or bosses 21 so that the grooves extend vertically of the standard 16 providing continuous recesses in which the panels 12 are received, as shown best in FIG. 5.

In order to support the chair standards 16 at the desired distance in front of the recess 11, we provide spacers 26 which, in the illustration given, are tapered and which abut on their rear edge the vertical recess wall and at their forward ends the collars or bosses 21 of the standards 16. It will be understood that the spacer may be of the desired length to adjust the standards 16 to a position at which the apertured panels are supported in a selected position in front of the recess nuts 17, a sturdy positioning of the standards 16 is effected.,

Operation .14 and the acoustical panels 12 located within the lateral grooves or recesses of the standards. Upon tightening the nuts 17, a rigid structure is formed, as illustrated best in FIG. 2, and the chairs 20 are firmly held upon the standards 16.

In actual use, the movement of the seats to raised and 11, and by tightening the lowered position-s and the movement of the chair bodies during occupancy produce vibrations transmitted directly through the supporting structure to the floating panels 12, while in addition the panels serve their customary function of receiving sound vibrations along their aper-. tured faces for dampening such sound. Should a panel 12 be broken or damaged, the same can be readily removed from the standard 16 and replaced with a new panel.

Instead of the lateral grooves as support forthe panels 12, other fastening or securing means may be employed. With the foregoing structure, it will be, noted that no fastening means are required other than the bolts 14 themselves, the entire panels being floated or carried by the chair-support structure and the riser f walls being intact and free of support brackets.

While in the foregoing specification, we have set out specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of our invention, it will be understood that such details may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In combination with a wall riser having a longitudinal recess in its face and provided with bolt supports projecting from said riser through said recess, vertical standards carried by said bolts, said standards being provided with chair-supporting arms, and acoustical panels having their side edge portions carried by said standards and supported in front of said recess.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said bolts are provided in vertically-aligned pairs and said vertical standard is secured to at least two of said verticallyaligned bolts.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said standards are provided with side grooves opening laterally and said acoustical panels are received within the grooves of adjacent standards. 7

4. The structure of claim 1 in which spacers are carried by said bolts for maintaining said standards in front of said recess.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which said bolts extend through apertures in said standards and nuts engage threaded ends of said bolts.

6. In combination with a wall riser having a longitudinal recess in its face, said recess being filled with fiber material and said riser being provided with bolts projecting from said riser through said recess, vertical standards apertured to receive said bolts and secured thereto with nuts threadedly engaging said bolts, said standards being provided with support arms and chairs carried by said arms, said standards being also provided along their sides with vertical grooves opening outwardly, and acoustical panels having their side edge portion-s received within said grooves and supported thereby in front of said recess.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which apertured spacers receive said bolts and extend between the rear recess wall and said standards to position said standards in front of said recess.

8. The structure of claim 6 in which said bolts extend in vertically-aligned pairs along said recess, said pairs of bolts being horizontally spaced substantially the width of chairs to be supported, standards equipped with chairsupporting arms being carried by each vertically-aligned pair of bolts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,805,210 5/1931 Foster 18133 2,553,363 5/1951 Droeger 52145 3,156,502 11/1964 Chisholm 181-33 FOREIGN PATENTS Ad. 64,423 6/ 1955 France.

' (1st add. to Pat. No. 1,076,791)

RIOHARD'B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

R. S. WARD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A WALL RISER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL RECESS IN ITS FACE AND PROVIDED WITH BOLT SUPPORTS PROJECTING FROM SAID RISER THROUGH SAID RECESS, VERTICAL STANDARDS CARRIED BY SAID BOLTS, SAID STANDARDS BEING PROVIDED WITH CHAIR-SUPPORTING ARMS, AND ACOUSTIAL PANELS HAVING THEIR SIDE EDGE PORTIONS CARRIED BY SAID STANDARDS AND SUPPORTED IN FRONT OF SAID RECESS. 